Longtime Jubilee volunteer encourages others to get involved

Marjorie Cameron with reoccuring Jubilee performer Dave Gunning. Cameron says getting to know the artists who perform at the festival is just one of the perks of volunteering.

NEW GLASGOW – When Marjorie Cameron first experienced the Riverfront Jubilee, the festival grounds consisted of one tent set up along the river in downtown New Glasgow. Though the location hasn’t changed, the addition of Glasgow Square, big name artists and big festival atmosphere has.

“It’s evolved a lot,” Cameron said, and so has her role in supporting the festival.

Back then she was a patron of the Jubilee. It was a festival that brought great music to Pictou County and Cameron took full advantage of that.

“I absolutely love music. I’m a music fanatic,” she said.

She signed up support the festival as a volunteer 15 years ago, something she plans to continue to do because she loves the music, getting to know the artists and the people she works with to make the Jubilee a success each year.

“It’s fun to get to meet these artists and work with them on a personal basis. There’s certainly that aspect of it,” she said, adding that she’s excited to meet Great Big Sea when they come to the Jubilee in August.

Cameron started out organizing the late night stage, but eventually moved to coordinating the green room, a hospitality space for artists, their entourage and family members.

“The artists are absolutely fantastic to deal with. Especially people like Dave Gunning and The Stanfields, Thom Swift, Matt Andersen, those are some from the Maritimes that are just incredible,” she said. “You would never meet nicer people anywhere, so that’s part of it too.”

Cameron said along with working with great people such as Carlton Munroe, the festival’s executive director, and the benefit of hearing great music, it’s also a rewarding experience to know her efforts result in the artists having a great time too.

“Our aim is always to have every single artist who comes into the green room and is performing there to want to come back,” she said. “They’ll contact Carlton saying, ‘can we come back to the Jubilee?’ And that makes you feel really good.”

Cameron said Pictou County is lucky to have a musical event of this caliber and she wants to see everyone come out to support it, either as a volunteer or as a patron. She said those thinking about volunteering should “jump in with both feet.”

She said when she took over the green room, she had to find volunteers for the bar.

“It was like pulling teeth to get people to volunteer, but once they were there and volunteering, everybody was going ‘can I come back and do this next year?’ So it is a great experience, it really is,” she said. “I’ve never heard anybody that’s volunteered at any aspect of the Jubilee say they didn’t enjoy it and didn’t want to do it again.”

Munroe said there are a few of the more than 300 volunteer positions that still need to be filled for this year’s festival. Those thinking about volunteering are encouraged to attend a volunteer orientation Monday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. Glasgow Square where they can hear about the different positions and sign up for vacant roles. For more information, go to jubilee.ns.ca and click on the get involved tab.

amackenzie@ngnews.ca

On Twitter: @NGNewsAmy

Marjorie Cameron with reoccuring Jubilee performer Dave Gunning. Cameron says getting to know the artists who perform at the festival is just one of the perks of volunteering.